Excerpt from the Short Story - The Library Table



An excerpt from:

 The Library Table
A short story by Janie St. Clair

The sound of heavy breathing and pounding feet filled the stairwell. Chiara’s pulse thundered in her head.
“They’re closing in!” she yelled over her shoulder. “Hurry!”
On the third floor landing, Slick suddenly stopped, bending over with a hand on the wall. “I can’t make it,” he panted. “Go on without me.”
“No, no! No, no, no!” Chiara said desperately as she backtracked and grabbed his hand. “I am not leaving you behind.” She caught his eyes with a serious gaze. “We’re partners.”
He flipped his gloriously shiny blond hair out of his eyes and chuckled through his exhaustion. “Whatever you say, fearless leader,” he told her.
She took a brief moment to appreciate his hair flip and his smile before she reminded herself how crucial their situation was. They raced the rest of the way holding hands. Chiara could barely believe she had the guts to hold his hand. But desperate times called for desperate measures. She only prayed that her intense blush would be disregarded as increased circulation from the panic and the rush.
They burst through the doors of the school library and collapsed at their destination: an old, scratched, worn wooden table at an optimal location. The table was next to a large window that offered a stunning view of the woods that surrounded their school. It was also equidistant between the reference, religion, and philosophy sections. Furthermore, the table was the furthest distance from the distraction of the computers. The table’s finish had been rubbed away by years of use, leaving a soft and smooth sensation that had soaked in countless years of diligent knowledge gathering. And on top of all these admirable qualities, the table did not wobble.
Chiara grinned victoriously as their defeated peers from the summer tutoring program filtered into the library and meandered to other tables.
“We made it,” she exhaled, laying her cheek and arms on the smooth surface. “I can die in peace.”
Slick chuckled, still catching his breath. “Is this table really that important to you? Four flights of stairs,” he complained, “at a sprint.”
“It’s the best table,” she asserted. “Have I not told you a million times?”
“Oh yes, you have,” he agreed.
“If there’s anything you take away from these tutoring sessions, it should be this!”
“Not lit, or math, or religion?” he questioned with a laugh. “But that this is your favorite table in the library?”
“Not my favorite,” she corrected. “The best. It’s not a matter of opinion, but fact. Alright. Let’s get started. Open to page 57, please.”
“Whatever you say, fearless leader.”



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Check out the other short stories from Book 1.5:
Drop by Drop
Charlie's Defining Moment
The Salvatore Effect
Fighting Destiny
Fruitless

or buy the book here!



© 2017 Janie St. Clair. All Rights Reserved

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